Pastor Paul Simon, 25 Years with Open Bible Church

Paul Simon has evangelized on the street and in prisons, jails, drug centers, youth organizations, hospitals, retirement centers and in Mexico. Since 1984, he has served as pastor of The Upper Room Fellowship in La Junta, with the able help of his wife, Gloria. For the past 25 years, they have been affiliated with Open Bible Churches, which recently presented him with a plaque commemorating his service.

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LA Junta Tribune - La Junta, CO

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Posted Jul. 19, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Updated Jul 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Posted Jul. 19, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Updated Jul 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Paul Simon has evangelized on the street and in prisons, jails, drug centers, youth organizations, hospitals, retirement centers and in Mexico. Since 1984, he has served as pastor of The Upper Room Fellowship in La Junta, with the able help of his wife, Gloria. For the past 25 years, they have been affiliated with Open Bible Churches, which recently presented him with a plaque commemorating his service.
The presentation was made at the National Open Bible Convention in Colorado Springs.
The Simons first started their ministry in 1976. They held services in their home from 1976 through 1983. Their attendance was up to 137, so in 1984, the Simons bought the old original Mennonite Church at 722 Santa Fe Ave. "They wanted the church to go to a hispanic congregation," said Simon. "Our congregation is mostly hispanic, but very few speak Spanish any more. We just have services in English." The Upper Room Fellowship joined with the Open Bible Churches in 1988.
Paul and Gloria Simon have been married for 53 years. Gloria helps with the worship services and plays the guitar. The church has three musical groups, and she is in two of them. The other group features keyboard.
Simon also serves at a Lathrop Youth Camp near Walsenburg and goes to Bent County Correctional Facility every third Sunday. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2012 at the Bent County Correctional Facility. He also received the Pete Spackman Award for his prison work.
The couple has been in the ministry for 37 years. They are elected to serve their church ever five years, but this year he asked for only three years because they may decide to retire. This is the Upper Room Fellowship schedule:
Sunday
9:30 Bible Study
10:30 Worship Service; 11 a.m. Sermon
Tuesday
7 p.m. Bible Study.